Hello! :)

Firstly, many thanks go to my reviewers: bethrodrigues.77 ( Thanks for the wonderful review! :) You are right, Jess's life will get really tense when Market Garden comes. I promise that there will be a lot of action and tough situations in Holland. But, first, you'll find out where Mike was during the last few chapters... get ready for the big surprise ;) ) and dustori ( Oh, thank you so much! :) I'm really glad that you liked the latest chapter. And I'm also glad that my story inspired you to get back to writing. That's what fellow writers do, don't they? They help each other from time to time ;) Thanks again! )

And now, without further delay... chapter 23. Enjoy! :)

Disclaimer: I do not own Band of Brothers. This is purely of entertainment. It is based on the HBO miniseries and no disrespect is meant towards the real men of Easy Company.

And I can barely look at you

But every single time I do

I know we'll make it anywhere

Away from here...

Snow Patrol, "Run"

Chapter Twenty-Three: We'll Fall Upon The Grass

I had no idea how I got downstairs and out of the HQ. The next thing I remember was running down the street, in almost complete darkness. All I wanted in that moment was to get away from that building – as far as possible. But, as my stomach tied itself in a dozen knots, running wasn't such an easy task.

After quite a while, I had finally come to speaking terms with my sister. She somehow forgave me. But, just when I thought that everything would be all right again, I received a ticket back to the front line. And it was up to me to tell her the news.

To tell you the truth, my life couldn't be more messed up than this.

Bastard... ruthless bastard... I kept biting my lip and walking as fast as I could, until I tripped on something. But, I managed to hold on to a lamp post and keep my balance.

What the... Looking down, I spotted a bottle of beer, lying right at my feet.

That was enough. Almost groaning in anger, I picked up the bottle and squeezed it in my hand. And then I turned around and threw it across the street.

Unfortunately, I had no idea that somebody was standing there.

"Whoa, whoa, Jess!"

Eugene ducked, while the bottle shattered just a few inches above his head. All of a sudden, my mouth went half-open.

"Jesus, Gene!" I gawked at him. "What are you doing here?"

"I was goin' fo sum supplies, until you decided ta kill me!"

"Well, I'm sorry about that!", I lashed out in the most sarcastic way I could think of, "I'm just having the worst time of my life!"

Dusting shards of glass off his shoulders, Gene sent me a concerned look.

"What happened?"

"What happened?" I kicked a piece of rubble underneath me, with rolled over the pavement. "Denham happened! I had a bloody meeting with him!"

"Oh." One of his black eyebrows slowly raised. And then he nodded. "You're gonna tell me everythin'. But, first, we gotta get outa this damn rain!"

Rain? What rain? I blinked in bewilderment. I hadn't even noticed that we were standing in the middle of a downpour. Hundreds and hundreds of raindrops were falling everywhere I looked, rapping against the pavement and rooftops.

"Come. This way."

Eugene placed his hand on the small of my back, before he led me to the nearby shop. It was closed, but its roof was wide enough to shield us both from the rain. As soon as we hid underneath it, Eugene's worried eyes darted to mine.

"So, what's goin' on?", he asked.

"Oh, nothing special." All I could do was shrug. "We're all just going to visit the land of tulips and windmills!"

Gene looked at me, slightly confused. "What?"

"You heard me! The whole bloody company will be sent to Holland! That was the reason Denham called me to his office. He showed me the photographs, maps... the lock, stock and barrel." Letting out a long sigh, I ran my fingers through my messy hair. "I have only weeks to sort out my life, Gene! But, damn it, how on earth will I do that now?!"

I couldn't describe how angry I was. With deep, shaky breaths, I plonked myself on the steps in front of the shop.

But, I didn't cry. I shouldn't cry, anyway. Tears wouldn't solve any of my problems now. Instead, I just dug my head in my hands.

"I really want to shoot someone", I muttered under my breath, "Someone called Denham, if that's possible."

"I ain't no genius, Jess, but I think that will cause ya much more trouble."

I raised my head when Eugene sat beside me. Although there was only one lamp post that was functioning near us, I could see his eyebrows slowly approaching each other.

"Does Neve know?", he asked in his peculiar accent.

"No. Not yet. But I guess she won't be so thrilled." Biting my lip again, I glanced at the pouring rain in front of me. "Bloody hell, what should I do?"

"You should tell her."

Now that will be really fun. Thank you so much, Gene! I almost said that out loud. However, I stopped myself in time.

I shook my head. "Not that! I mean... what should I do when we get out there? To Holland?"

"Well, it's simple, ain't it?"

"What do you mean?"

"Just remember what Winters said to you", Eugene answered. He turned slightly, so that he could look at me straight in the eye. "Fly above us and watch what's goin' on in front. That's all you need ta do."

A bitter smile spread on my lips again. "Do you remember the last time I did that? I almost ended up pushing up daisies."

"You might have more luck this time."

"And what if I don't?" Don't get me wrong, I wasn't happily expecting to get a bullet. In fact, the thought of it created a large lump in my throat. But, I had to ask the question. "What if I actually get hit?"

This time, Gene's eyebrows almost knitted together. "You ain't gonna..."

"But, if I do..."

"I'll fix you when you land."

As soon as he said the last word, we became swiftly surrounded by silence. Well, something close to silence – the rain kept pouring outside our small shelter.

It wasn't just his words that took me aback. The sheer tone of his voice and the look on his face were also responsible. For a second, I was certain that his eyes had become darker than before. They seemed as if they were absorbing every available trace of light.

"I did it once before", he said in a much lower voice, "Did I?"

All of a sudden, it dawned on me that he had moved closer. We were now so close to each other, that I could count his every eyelash – with wasn't such a bad thing. Truth be told, Eugene really had captivating eyes...

The rain was still falling and rapping around us, when he leaned a bit more. That was when he cupped my face with his hands and pressed his lips against mine.

I had no idea how much time passed. And, to be honest, I didn't give a sod about it. I wrapped him into a tight embrace and kissed him back, while his hands were sliding down my back.

Although I presumed that didn't last very long, I hadn't felt so... well, comforted in a long time. I mean, I was still furious with Denham and the whole damn situation I was in. But, just by being held by someone I loved, every single one of my problems seemed strangely small and distant. I almost wished that we could stay like this for good.

As I thought about it, my lips curved into a smile. And then Eugene smiled too. He kissed me one more time, before I managed to whisper:

"I'll keep an eye on you from above."

"And I'll keep an eye on you from below", he said, still smiling, "How does that sound, Angel?"

I tilted my head slightly. "That sounds like a nice plan... Doc."

XXX

Have you ever seen a train, rushing through a field and disappearing in the distance? The weeks passed just as fast, one after the other. Eventually, September descended to Aldbourne, while autumn was preparing to join.

Although the days were still warm, the sky had slowly turned from bright blue to grayish, announcing another season of the rain. The first golden leaves appeared in the treetops, while a chilly breeze begun visiting the town during the night.

And for all of that time, I hadn't received a single word from Mike.

I had written to him many times, but he didn't write back – and the time of his return remained a mystery. I waited and waited, until I lost the last bit of my patience and decided to visit him.

Luckily, I would have enough time for that tomorrow. Between two exercises with the lads, I had a perfect chance to get to the neighbouring town, have a chat with Mike, and then get back to the base. With that in mind, I quickly packed some things and bought the tickets for the first bus in the morning.

All I needed now was a good sleep. But, before going to bed, I wanted to pay a short visit to the lads and check how they were. And so I went to the good old Oak and Stag.

In spite of the cold weather outside, the pub was even more crowded than before. I barely managed to get to the bar and order drinks for me and the lads.

"What would I do without George Luz?"

The deep, familiar voice made me look over my shoulder.

George, lieutenant Compton, Joe and Babe were playing darts in the nearby corner. Just a few moments later, Compton's dart hit the center. And then shouts filled the air:

"Boop!"

"Oooooh!"

"Goodness gracious..."

I couldn't help but snigger. That was when the bartender placed the last glass on the bar with a clink. I quickly paid him, picked up the tray with the drinks and went my way.

After a few steps, I got to the table where Lieb and Bill were sitting. As I tried to remember who ordered what, Lieb snatched a glass of beer from my hand. He gave me a slightly dark look, before he said:

"You know, Jess, that Denham is really giving you a hard time." I noticed that he frowned. But, soon after, a peculiar smirk appeared on his face. "You know that I'm always fumblin' with grenades. It would be easy if one went off by accident."

I looked at him in concern. "Did you fall on your head, Lieb?"

"Yeah, Lieb, did ya fall on your head?", Bill asked, "We should go with Denham on a mortar practice... with him as a target."

They both roared with laughter, while I slightly frowned. Actually, what Bill had said wasn't such a bad idea. But, I couldn't say that, could I?

"Are you two always like this?", I asked, plonking myself on the nearest chair.

"Like what?", Lieb asked.

"Completely childish."

"Well, that's what brothers are for, ain't they?", Bill asked with a grin, "Their job is to stay childish... and possibly cheer their sisters up."

That made me roll my eyes. "I must be the happiest lass in the world, then. Since I crashed in France, I suddenly got so many brothers..."

Bill and Lieb burst into laughter again, almost spilling their drinks. I tried to stay serious this time. However, that didn't last long and I begun chuckling, too.

We were still laughing when a silhouette stood up somewhere in the crowd. It was soon followed by another one, slightly taller. A smirk found its way on my lips when I recognized Smokey Gordon and Lipton.

"Hey, lads, look at this." I gave Bill, who was the closest, a quick pat on the shoulder. "Is Smokey actually beaming?"

Before he could answer, Smokey shouted from the top of his voice:

"Hey, you all!"

Slowly, but surely, the pub went quiet. And then Gordon continued:

"Listen up! This is Carwood Lipton..."

"He's already married, Smokey!", Don shouted somewhere behind me, making everyone laugh.

Gordon grinned, but he didn't stop. "This here is Carwood Lipton, the new Easy Company's first sergeant!" He paused when the men cheered – with George as the loudest one. Soon after, he added: "As benefiting his position, he says he has to make a couple of announcements."

I would have sniggered with the rest of the lads. However, that urge disappeared when I saw the look on Lipton's face. Unlike everyone else in the pub, he didn't seem so happy. In fact, he looked more than serious. If I could bet, I would say that he seemed almost guilty about something.

Just a moment later, my stomach coiled.

Winters had the same look when he had announced the jump for D-Day.

"Well, I hate to break the mood here, guys..." Lipton cleared his throat. "But, the training exercise scheduled for tomorrow morning has been canceled. Secondly, all passes are hereby revoked. We're moving out again, so pack your gear."

Luckily for me, I was still sitting. In this moment, my knees would have probably given out underneath me. Meanwhile, as if he knew how I was, Lipton turned around. He gave me an almost apologetic look.

Lipton, don't you dare... I muttered under my breath.

Unfortunately, it was too late. He soon spoke again, adding another blow:

"We will not be returning to England boys... and Prichard. Anyone who had not made out a will, go to the supply office. Trucks depart from the base at 07:00." He glanced at the rest of the men – especially Smokey, who had been completely struck dumb. "As you were."

I could have sworn that the temperature in this place had suddenly plummeted. The whole pub was enveloped in an almost eerie silence, as if everybody held their breath. Wisps of smoke still lingered above the men's heads, refusing to disappear.

Shit.

All of a sudden, without any warning, every single one of the men turned around. And all of them looked in my direction, with almost bewildered looks on their faces.

I almost froze on my spot. Holy smoke, did I just say 'shit' out loud?!

Unfortunately, judging by their expressions, I definitely did it. As the lads kept staring at me, I wished to simply sink in the ground and never get out.

"Nice one, Jessie", Bill whispered with a smirk.

Lip sent me one more, this time a bit surprised look, before he continued talking.

XXX

The airfield was filled with so much people, that it looked like a human ant hill. Men were running to and fro, preparing their gear or carrying crates with supplies. Some of them were shouting orders, while the others were shouting at each other. On top of all that, the sun had decided to be mercilessly hot today.

Wiping sweat off my forehead, I continued checking my plane. This time, I had been appointed to be in the cockpit of a Spitfire. Hand on heart, that was a relieving thought. The last bigger plane I had gone in was now rusting on the bottom of a French pond.

I was just about to see if the fuel level was fine, when I noticed something. Or someone, to be more precise. Among the many replacements that were gathered nearby, I noticed no other than Nixon.

Picking up my rucksack, I quickly went after him. Nudging a few replacements out of my way, I mustered my biggest smile and waved at the dark haired man.

"Hello, Nix!"

As he turned around, I turned my rucksack in my hands and unzipped it. And then I opened it in front of him, revealing a bottle of his favourite whiskey.

Actually, I had never seen Nixon acting like this. He simply stared at the bottle, completely speechless, as if I had just shown him a load of stolen gold bars. The sheer look on his face made me almost smirk.

"What's wrong, captain?", I asked with a smile, "Haven't you seen a Vat 69 before?"

His shocked expression lasted for a few long moments. But, then it became replaced with a wide, almost boyish grin. He carefully took the bottle from my hand and observed the label under the sunlight. A second later, one of his thick eyebrows arched.

"Doc Roe was right, Jess. You really are an angel."

"I just kept my word, Nix. I'd promised you that whiskey in France, didn't I?"

It was Nixon's turn now to smirk. He placed the bottle in the safety of a nearby crate. Soon after, for some reason, his smile faltered and a small crease emerged on his forehead.

"Nix, is there something wrong?"

He looked at me and hesitated for a few moments, before he nodded.

"To tell you the truth, yeah. It looks like we won't be jumping to Holland alone."

That confused me a bit. "You mean...?"

"We're gonna have company this time. They're at that B-52 on the other side." Frowning again, he added: "And they're all Brits."

I was sure that my eyes became almost twice as wider. "You must be joking."

He shrugged. „It's Montgomery's plan. Since we'll be under British command, a few Brits will be added to every company. Just to make sure that we won't screw up."

I blinked a couple of times. Under British command? Well, I definitely didn't see that coming. As disbelief begun filling me from top to bottom, my gaze moved from the distant plane to Nix.

"Wha... how..." I eventually shook my head. "Where are they from?"

"The Sixth British Airborne", he explained, "Two of them are assigned to Easy, to Randleman's squad." One corner of his lips quivered, almost in disappointment. "Can you believe that? It looks like we'll pull upon the risers and fall upon the grass with them."

I placed one hand on my hip while looking at him. "You don't seem very happy, do you?"

"I just don't like when somebody sticks his nose in my job. Or the company's job. They're acting as if we don't have enough problems already." He glanced at the men in the distance. It didn't last long, when his frown loosened up a bit. "But, every cloud has a silver lining. One of them enlisted quite recently, as I heard. He's also a damn good shot. So, when the brass noticed him, they decided to speed up his basic training and place him with Easy. Can you believe that, Jess?"

"Well, since we'll work together, let's go and say hello to them." I picked up my canteen and took a sip. But, Nixon didn't move. "Oh, come on, Nix. Don't be so rude. I..."

I barely begun the next sentence, when one type of noise became louder than all the others on the airfield. I heard somebody swearing, along with somebody else shouting. It didn't take me long to find out that a fight had begun out there.

Holy mackerel... "Nix, let's go!"

I didn't have to tell him twice. He quickly nodded and dashed in front of me, towards the place where the British were standing.

The answers came as soon as we reached the next plane. I saw a small group of Yanks arguing with the British. Bull was pulling Lieb away, while Lieb was shouting:

"Get the hell off me! I wanna punch that son of a bitch in the...!"

Meanwhile, a fellow British was pulling away his colleague, who was sending rather interesting swears to Lieb.

"What on earth is going on here?!", I shouted as loudly as I could.

Most of the men heard me and turned around. And that included the British rifleman, who was holding back his feisty friend. In a short moment, he turned around and his eyes met mine.

That was when the world suddenly stopped.

My canteen slipped from my hand and fell on the concrete with a dull sound. I felt water spattering on my trousers, but I didn't do anything about it. I just stood there, staring at him. Meanwhile, he was staring at me, too.

However, that wasn't my biggest problem. The worst thing was that I knew him – I knew him since we were kids.

The young paratrooper, who was trying to stop the fight, was actually Mike.

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